Category Archives: Cancer

Cannabinoid receptor 1 is a potential drug target for treatment of translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma

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“Because cannabinoid receptor agonists are capable of reducing proliferation and inducing apoptosis (cell death) in diverse cancer cells such as glioma, breast cancer, and melanoma, we evaluated whether CB1 is a potential drug target in rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children…

 Our study shows that treatment with the cannabinoid receptor agonists HU210 (cloned THC from Hebrew University) and Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC from cannabis) lowers the viability of translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma cells through the induction of apoptosis…

These results support the notion that cannabinoid receptor agonists could represent a novel targeted approach for treatment of translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma.”

Full text: http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/8/7/1838.long

The CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Is Coupled to the Activation of c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase

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“One of the most intriguing and unexplored actions of cannabinoids is their ability to control cell growth. Thus, cannabinoids have been shown to induce antiproliferative effects through the CB1 receptor… we have recently shown that cannabinoids are able to modulate through the CB1 receptor the activity of the PI3K/protein kinase B pathway, which serves as a pivotal antiapoptotic signal…”

http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/58/4/814.long

Cannabidiol-induced apoptosis in primary lymphocytes is associated with oxidative stress-dependent activation of caspase-8

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“Cannabidiol-induced apoptosis in primary lymphocytes is associated with oxidative stress-dependent activation of caspase-8” and “The non-psychoactive cannabidiol triggers caspase activation and oxidative stress in human glioma cells… we have shown that the non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound cannabidiol (CBD) induces apoptosis (cell death) of glioma cells in vitro and tumor regression…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17950393

Cannabinoids: A new hope for breast cancer therapy?

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“Experimental evidence accumulated during the last decade supports that cannabinoids, the active components of Cannabis sativa and their derivatives, possess anticancer activity… these compounds exert anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-migratory and anti-invasive actions in a wide spectrum of cancer cells… Moreover, tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis are hampered by cannabinoids… our current knowledge on the anti-tumor potential of cannabinoids in breast cancer… suggests that cannabinoid-based medicines may be useful for the treatment of most breast tumor subtypes.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22776349 

Rimonabant inhibits human colon cancer cell growth and reduces the formation of precancerous lesions in the mouse colon

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“Rimonabant inhibits human colon cancer cell growth and reduces the formation of precancerous lesions…” and “Cannabinoid receptor activation induces apoptosis… in colon cancer cells”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19479993

Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic

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“Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic… Cannabis smoke contains cannabinoids whereas tobacco smoke contains nicotine (plus added carcinogens). Available scientific data, that examines the carcinogenic properties of inhaling smoke and its biological consequences, suggests reasons why tobacco smoke, but not cannabis smoke, may result in lung cancer… Furthermore, compounds found in cannabis have been shown to kill numerous cancer types including: lung cancer, breast and prostate, leukemia and lymphoma, glioma, skin cancer, and pheochromocytoma…”-

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1277837/?tool=pubmed

Concomitant consumption of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco in oral squamous cell carcinoma development and progression: Recent advances and challenges

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“Carcinogens found in tobacco are also concentrated in marijuana, but the latter also contains high levels of cannabinoids, bioactive compounds responsible for several effects such as euphoria and analgesia. However, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC), the major psychotropic cannabinoid found in plants, causes a reduction of cellular metabolism and induction of apoptosis (progarmmed cell death), both of which are anti-neoplastic properties…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22727410 

Cannabinoids Induce Apoptosis of Pancreatic Tumor Cells via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress–Related Genes

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“The hemp plant Cannabis sativa produces unique compounds known as cannabinoids, of which Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most important… The present study was undertaken to investigate the antitumoral action of cannabinoids in pancreatic cancer and the molecular mechanisms involved in that effect… Cannabinoids induce apoptosis of pancreatic tumor cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes…These findings may contribute to set the basis for a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.”

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/13/6748.long

Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits cell cycle progression in human breast cancer cells through Cdc2 regulation.

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” Here, we show that Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), through activation of CB(2) cannabinoid receptors, reduces human breast cancer cell proliferation by blocking the progression of the cell cycle and by inducing apoptosis… these data might set the bases for a cannabinoid therapy for the management of breast cancer.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818634

 

Cannabis-induced cytotoxicity in leukemic cell lines: the role of the cannabinoid receptors and the MAPK pathway

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“We therefore investigated the role of the CB-Rs (CannaBinoid-Receptors) in mediating apoptosis in 3 leukemic cell lines… We have shown that THC is a potent inducer of apoptosis… THC-induced cell death…”

http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/105/3/1214.long